39°
In a lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Tuesday, Sept. 24, Thalia Graves accused Combs of spiking her glass of wine and rendering her unconscious before raping her in a studio in Manhattan.
According to the lawsuit complaint, Graves met Combs, a 54-year-old New York City native who grew up in Westchester County in Mount Vernon, when she was 25 in the summer of 2001. She was introduced to the rapper while dating one of his employees, which Combs allegedly used to lure Graves into meeting him and his bodyguard, Joseph Sherman, who was named a defendant.
While in a car with Combs and Sherman, Graves was given a glass of wine. Shortly after drinking from it, she began to feel lightheaded, dizzy, and weak, the lawsuit says.
Graves was then driven to a studio belonging to Combs' record label, Bad Boy, and lost consciousness there. When she awoke, she was naked and her hands were tied behind her back. At this point, she was allegedly raped by Combs and sexually assaulted by Sherman, experiencing severe pain as a result, according to the complaint, which added that her head was also slammed into a pool table during the attack.
She was eventually able to leave the studio and was driven to a hospital by a livery driver her family knew well. However, she was afraid to report the rape in fear of what Combs would do to her and her family if she did, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit is the latest filed against Combs accusing him of sexual assault. The rapper was arrested on Tuesday morning, Sept. 17 on a three-count indictment accusing him of running a criminal enterprise that involved sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.
According to a report by CNN, Graves spoke about the lawsuit in a news conference on Tuesday with her attorney, Gloria Allred:
"The combination of physical and emotional pain has created a cycle of suffering from which it is so hard to break free...I want to continue on this journey towards recovery and healing. I’m glad that he is locked up, but that’s a temporary feeling of relief."
In a statement reported by the outlet, Sherman denied the accusations and called them "false and baseless," also claiming that he had not been working for Combs at the time the rape allegedly happened.
Graves' lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal actions taken by victims who have accused Combs of sexual assault. This includes one filed on Wednesday, July 3 by former adult film star Adria English, who accused the producer of forcing her to engage in prostitution and sex work during parties held at his Miami and New York homes, according to reports.
Combs was also sued by former model Crystal McKinney, the winner of MTV's 1998 Model Mission competition show, in late May. In the lawsuit, McKinney alleges that Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2003 following a Men's Fashion Week event in New York City.
Additionally, Combs faced another lawsuit from his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who he allegedly attacked in 2016 as seen in surveillance footage released by CNN.
According to reports, Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs in November 2023 that was settled within a day.
Amid these lawsuits, Combs also faces federal charges and has been placed on suicide watch while jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
According to federal officials, as part of his criminal business, Combs would allegedly force women to engage in frequent days-long sexual activity with male commercial sex workers that he referred to as "Freak Offs." This activity would consist of elaborate sex performances arranged, directed, and often electronically recorded by Combs, officials said.
To make sure his victims participated in these "Freak Offs," Combs would use violence and intimidation to leverage his power over them. He would obtain this leverage by distributing narcotics to victims, exploiting his financial support to them, and threatening to cut off this support. He would also control their careers, according to federal officials.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Schenectady and receive free news updates.
